Pyresia
Appearance Pyresia. The City of Wyrms. It tumbles down the black basalt slopes of an immense volcano called the AshPeak. The towering cone perches on the black-sand coast of the Jade Sea, far to the west of the Valley of Screamers and the territory of the Ebon Knights. The land around the mountain is tropical and fertile and riddled with hot springs, chasms, and open lava pools. Only half of the city is visible from the surface. Huge balconies and terraces cling to the dark stone of the mountain like fungus sprouting from the sides of a tree. Stubbornly untameable, the sturdy but often elaborate (and large) buildings are flanked and festooned by verdant tropical foliage, and the perfume of lurid jungle flowers fills the air. The view of the sea and the surrounding jungle is awe-inspiring. Deep into the ground under the caldera, the city continues into a subterranean metropolis referred to as The GemDeeps. Natural veins of crystals and gems in every colour imaginable bring hued light from the world above and are also mined for trade with the rest of the world. In addition to the gem mines, Pyresia has a deep harbour and brings in as much trade as she can. Pyresians When the Death of Magic plunged the world into chaos, dragonkind experienced a shift in attitude. These normally solitary but intelligent creatures found their innate magical skill reduced to almost nothing, leaving them vulnerable to being picked off by hominid races. Younger, progressive-minded dragons came together and decided that in the interest of self-preservation and to forestall what very well may have been their extinction, they would cooperate with other races and abandon "wild living". The AshPeak was a disputed territory. It had been settled by both giants and dwarves in the past. With several dragons squabbling over the mountain while being harried from below by a clan of dwarves, the first act of the Wyrmoot, a council of dragons, was to forge peace with the dwarves and begin building Pyresia anew. The cooperation is tenuous. The dwarves, excellent craftsmen and miners, build the city to house their overlarge neighbors while the dragons provide protection for dwarfish interests. In the past, dragons stole from innocent shepherds or looted trade caravans for food and metal, but even after the return of magic many have found a certain amount of satisfaction in earning their meals with legitimate toil, taking hominid shape to perform the tasks needed. Many a shop-keep or gemcutter in the Pyresian markets is a dragon in disguise. Pyresian dragons, especially those who serve in their WingHost, often wear coloured paint on their wings called 'laudi'. Different colours and patterns can indicate a dragon's rank or profession, or even if they are interested in finding a mate. It is common for them to wear gemstone cuffs around their horns or pierced through their frills. Demographics Pyresia is populated primarily by dwarves and humans. Dragons, while they control just about all of the inner workings of the city, are still largely outnumbered by other races. Social Standings Dragons rule the roost in Pyresia. One dragon of each breath type (fire, cold, acid, electricity) is elected by its fellows to serve as a Chancellor on the Wyrmoot, a council of dragons that makes decisions for the rest of their small empire. A trio of dwarves (representing their three main professional guilds) also attends the Wyrmoot to represent the dwarfish interests in the running of the city. In recent years, the Harbourmaster is often consulted as well, as sea-trade has become more and more successful. Dragons serve for a maximum of 20 years before they must resign their post. To prevent in-fighting, any dragon who assumes the mantle of Chancellor must have lived in Pyresia for at least 40 years and must give up his hoard. Laws Pyresia is a city built around cooperation between dwarves and dragons. Other races have trickled into the arrangement as well, and while the dragons are willing to protect all who live in their city, they generally leave the policing up to the dwarves. Dragons generally only step in when the matter is personal or concerns dragons specifically. That said, Pyresia has a very "free port, free trade" atmosphere. Few products or items are illegal to buy or sell, the largest exception being anything designed to be harmful to dragons. There are many craft and merchant guilds in Pyresian and shoddy business practices are dealt with at a Guild level. Trying to run a business without the support of a guild can be the death of that business. 1. No person or dragon shall be slain or suffer bodily injury by any other person or dragon excepting in matters of self-defense. 2. No citizen may be enslaved within the borders of Pyresia. Indentured servitude is allowed only when it is the result of willing arrangement or the outcome of trial. 3. All persons shall be entitled to fair compensation for damages wrought by a dragon out of that dragon's own hoard. This is to include breath-damage, beasts eaten, and metal-ore consumed. 4. Thievery and rape are forbidden. 5. Any Guild operating within Pyresia must supply an annual tithe of goods or gold to the Wing Host as just compensation for protection and other services rendered by the Host. 6. Any dragon of Pyresia is expected to maintain decorum and civility in foreign lands so much as is possible to reflect goodly on the realm. ((more to come)) Crime and Punishment Criminals in Pyresia risk a rather gruesome fate if their crimes are sufficiently vile. Trials are conducted by a tribunal of dwarves with a dragon Overseer to preside. Petty crimes usually result in either fines or forced labour, depending on the situation. In the event of murder or rape or other serious offense, the victim (or the victim's family if the victim was slain) may be awarded custody of the criminal as an indentured servant for a pre-determined amount of time. This punishment is issued to dragons as well as hominids. Especially violent or dangerous criminals may simply be eaten by the Overseer. Dueling to settle disputes is allowed only outside of populated areas. In the event of a dispute between a hominid and a dragon, it is common for hominids to hire a Duelist dragon to fight for them, though this is extremely expensive. Defense The primary defenses of Pyresia are in the form of the dragons themselves. A minimum ration of metal and livestock is given to dragons who are willing to serve in the Wing Host, which patrols the lands around Pyresia, including shipping lanes, and responds to disturbances including invasions or natural disasters. This is a common profession, especially for dragons who can not shapeshift, and can come with high honours and benefits. In addition to the dragons, the dwarf-built city includes heavy stone doors that can be shut to prevent ingress either from the surface into the mountain or from the GemDeeps up to the surface. There are also several lava-dams that can be broken to flood whole chambers and passageways with lava. The dwarves maintain a standing City Watch and are responsible for handling minor incidents such as petty crime. Fashion and Art Economy Pyresia's primary export is gemstones, which are mined from the GemDeep caverns beneath the city. Other notable goods are tropical crops (fruit, tea, coffee, tobacco, and sugarcane), ship-building, and dwarven craftsmanship. Primary imports include metal ore, livestock, and timber. Other Ilumírë is a large fairy city hidden deep in the tropical jungle within Pyresia territory. The Pyresian leaders know about it's presence, but as the fairies neither present much threat nor have much to offer in trade, the dragons and the other citizens of Pyresia generally leave the fairies in peace. Races Commonly Found Dragon Dwarfs Humans Half-Dragons Drow Azer